Door to Door Sales: Top 5 Strategies

Nowadays it’s very common to think of door to door sales as a dead technique. New generations don’t even know it actually exists. But what people don’t realize is that knocking on doors is actually the best training you can have in sales. It’s a tough activity, but it’ll teach you the best lessons to be successful in sales. Also, right now the majority of the marketing is done by e-mail, radio, and television; that’s why real human contact is sometimes more effective!

Since people do not welcome strangers into their space with the most open mind (can you blame them?), it can be difficult to boost sales without qualified strategies.

So, if your knuckles are hurting, you might find this advice really useful!

#1 Overcome Objections

When knocking on doors, it’s very common to receive a big, fat “NO.” Reading back this sentence it sounds so negative, but you know what? It’s the starting point to go further with your sales.

It’s important since you just introduced yourself that the prospect now knows who you are. You won’t be a stranger anymore and you should take advantage of this, establishing a place in that person's mind.

There’s so much you can do with that regret. Obviously, it’s not easy overcoming objections, but with the right strategies you can successfully end up with a sale.

When overcoming objections, it’s crucial to understand deeply what the objection is about, so that you’ll have the instruments to overcome it! So you might consider discovering what’s behind that “NO” and provide a solution that fits with what the prospect wants.

#2 Learn from Prospects Needs

When the prospect opens the door, you shouldn’t overwhelm him/her with your cool sales pitch. You should try to get as much information from them as you can. This way, when you’re trying to sell your product/service, you’ll know better what the needs are that you’re trying to satisfy.

It’s not an easy task, but you just have to ask the right questions.

In the very first moment, you don’t have to convince the prospect to buy. You just need to inform them that you have a product/service that can help him/her.

It’s about making the prospect aware that you exist!

Prospects have different needs, you just need to discover them. Asking the right questions is really crucial. Asking questions also make the prospect think that you’re curious - potential buyers respond well to curious people. The key to door to door sales is asking questions out of interest - not out of pushiness.

#3 Give Some Time to Prospects

Don’t pretend to have a sale in your very first meeting with the customer; it happens rarely. You should leave some time for prospects to get information on a standalone basis about your product/service. You can give them some information, but they won’t trust you until they have conducted their own research.

Often when considering to buy, people have to talk to their organization or just check their finances. So leaving them some time to decide is necessary. In the meantime, make sure not to let too much time pass after following up. After a few days, you can follow up, because as already said, you’re not a stranger anymore. It’s important to send letters, make phone calls, and schedule new meetings.

#4 There are Some Regrets you Can’t Change

You need to recognize when a “NO” won’t change into a “YES.” No one has a 100% close ratio, and often you cannot convince your prospect to buy. On one hand, it’s important to follow up and push your customer in different ways. On the other hand you need to understand when you’re being too pushy. There are some prospects that you can’t turn into customers, so it’s crucial that you realize when you’re passing the “line.”

With some experience, you’ll get to know when you’ve reached this line, and you’ll be comfortable on getting “NO” faster and move to the next door.

Door to door sales are a numbers game. The more doors you’ll knock on, the more probabilities you’ll have to end up with successful sales.

One strategy is to make prospects comfortable to say no. If you are polite and just say “I totally understand that my product/service might not be useful for you,” the prospect will know that you’re not pushing too much.

#5 Perfect your Pitch

When starting your pitch, you need to make it clear what it is that you’re selling. Humans are emotion-based decision makers, so pitching your product with emotions is necessary. So let’s see in depth how this can be structured:

Introduction: Introduce yourself! Usually a person builds an impression of you in 10 seconds. This is why being polite, smiling, and looking for eye contact is important.

Questions: Now that you’re standing in front of the prospect, he/she might want to know why you’re there. So explain briefly what you’re trying to sell, but remember, do not overwhelm with the core of the pitch. After this, it’s the moment to ask questions, know more about your customer, and get qualified answers.

Present: Finally, you know what are your prospect needs, so it’s time to actually present your product. Try to engage the prospect, telling real experience from other customers, and qualifying your words on the base of the needs you just discovered. Remember to use the KISS method! (Keep It Short and Sweet)

Close: If you said all the right things, it’s the closing moment. At this moment, you need to let the prospect speak and to listen to his/her questions. You must overcome objections, and remember, by coming up with objections your customer is just asking for more reasons to buy.

With these strategies, you can really boost your door to door sales. Thanks to them, you can be more confident when knocking on a door. Confidence is important when meeting someone and it’s necessary when trying to sell something. When you know your product and your pitch, it will come naturally.